Early Monday morning Flyers founder and chairman, Ed Snider, passed away at the age of 83. Snider was battling cancer for the last few months and finally lost the battle.
Many players, National Hockey officials, and teams took to social media throughout the day to express their condolences to Snider’s family and the Philadelphia Flyers.
Photo courtesy of www.phillyphanatics.com
Snider was responsible for bringing an NHL team to Philadelphia back in 1967 as part of the NHL Expansion Draft, which gave the league six new teams. From then on, Snider saw the Flyers win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975, defeat the Soviet Red Army team in 1976, and put together a 35-game unbeaten streak in the 80’s. Snider did so much to help the Flyers grow into the team and organization that they are today.
Snider’s last Flyers game was this past Saturday. Appropriately, the team clinched a spot in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win against their cross-state rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was not able to attend the game, but Lauren Hart, the Flyers’ long time National Anthem singer, had Snider on FaceTime while she sang “God Bless America.”
Personally, I’d like to thank Mr. Snider for bringing the Flyers to Philadelphia back in 1967. Without watching the Flyers, my life would be so much different and my love for hockey may not have grown into what it is today. Snider was and always will be remembered as one of the most influential men in sports history.
The Flyers will begin their quest for another Stanley Cup on Thursday night. Let’s all hope they can win it for Snider. He will be dearly missed.
Photo courtesy of the Official Website of the Philadelphia Flyers
You can watch an Ed Snider tribute video created by the Flyers here.
